Sexual harassment allegations made against former member of Rye Arts Advisory council

Albert Shultz, the former artistic director of Toronto’s acclaimed Soulpepper theatre company and a former member of Ryerson’s Arts and Contemporary program advisory council is being sued by four actresses for sexual battery and harassment.

Schultz was on the advisory council when it was established in 2010, but hasn’t been a member since it was reconstituted in 2013. An old Ryerson webpage had Schultz listed as a council member. The page was removed after The Eyeopener reached out to program director Stephanie Walsh Matthews for comment.

The four civil lawsuits, which allege 30 specific instances, were filed by former Soulpepper theatre performers Kristin Booth, Diana Bentley, Patricia Fagan and Hannah Miller. Booth graduated from Ryerson’s Theatre School in 1997.

280 artists signed an open letter backing the actresses. Schultz resigned from his post as artistic director after the allegations came out.

According to Ryerson’s Senate policy, members of program advisory councils are volunteers meant to provide “expert advice” on “program related matters such as curriculum, program review, technology and trends in the industry.”